erase

(ĭ-rās')
tr.v., e·rased, e·ras·ing, e·ras·es.

1. 1. To remove (something written, for example) by rubbing, wiping, or scraping.
   2. To remove (recorded material) from a magnetic tape or other storage medium: erased a file from the diskette.
   3. To remove recorded material from (a magnetic tape or disk, for example): erased the videocassette.
2. To remove all traces of.
3. To remove or destroy as if by wiping out: had to erase all thoughts of failure from his mind.

[Latin ērādere, ērās-, to scratch out : ē-, ex-, ex- + rādere, to scrape.]

SYNONYMS   erase, expunge, efface, delete, cancel. These verbs mean to remove or invalidate something, especially something stored, recorded, or written down. To erase is to wipe or rub out, literally or figuratively: erased the equation from the blackboard; erased any hope of success. Expunge and efface imply thorough removal: expunged their names from the list; tried to efface prejudice from his mind. To delete is to remove matter from a manuscript or data from a computer application: deleted expletives from the transcript; deleted the file with one keystroke. Cancel refers to invalidating by or as if by drawing lines through something written: canceled the postage stamp; canceled the reservation.

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To remove an item of data from a file or to remove a file from the disk. See file wipe, trash and undelete.

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verb

1. To remove or invalidate by or as if by running a line through or wiping clean: annul, blot (out), cancel, cross (off or out), delete, efface, expunge, obliterate, rub (out), scratch (out), strike (out), undo, wipe (out), x (out). Law vacate. See continue/stop/pause.
2. To destroy all traces of: abolish, annihilate, blot out, clear, eradicate, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, kill¹, liquidate, obliterate, remove, root¹ (out or up), rub out, snuff out, stamp out, uproot, wipe out. Idioms: do away with, make an end of, put an end to. See help/harm/harmless, make/unmake.

v

Definition: remove; rub out
Antonyms: add, insert, put in

IN BRIEF: To remove from memory or existence.

The problem with any unwritten law is that you don't know where to go to erase it.

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sign description: One A-hand makes a back and forth motion on the flat palm of the opposite hand.

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For a list of words related to erase, see:

• Baseball - erase: to make an out

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See words rhyming with "erase."

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - udviske, udradere, udslette, fjerne, slette

Nederlands (Dutch)
uitvegen, uitwissen, wegvegen, doorhalen, wegvlakken, wissen

Français (French)
v. tr. - effacer, gratter, gommer, (US) liquider, tuer, (Comput) effacer

Deutsch (German)
v. - ausradieren, löschen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - διαγράφω, σβήνω, απαλείφω, εξαλείφω, (Η/Υ) διαγράφω

Italiano (Italian)
cancellare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - apagar, eliminar

Русский (Russian)
стирать, ликвидировать

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - borrar, hacer desaparecer, desvanecer, tachar, raspar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - sudda ut, utplåna

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
抹去, 消磁, 擦掉

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 抹去, 消磁, 擦掉

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 지우다, 잊다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 削除する, ぬぐい去る, こすり消す

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) ينمحي, يمحو‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮מחק‬

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